Civic IDEA

2018 - 2019

An illustration of orange buildings, trees, and vehicles

Civic IDEA is a media literacy intervention to help build the capacity of youth to be more engaged citizens through the creation and distribution of media. Civic IDEA incorporates accessible technologies and a focus on connecting critical inquiry with active engagement in daily life. Youth who engage with the IDEA framework will learn to identify and investigate issues, deliberate around their values, express alternative narratives to current messages, and advocate for communities and issues that matter.

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About the Project

Problem Space

There are many media literacy toolkits and resources available that focus on the formal use of media for critical thinking, digital safety, or generic digital citizenship. However, there is a clear need for toolkits and resources that create pathways for youth to safely and effectively participate in civic or political discourse.

Proposed Intervention

Responding to this need, Civic IDEA provides a comprehensive program for facilitators to build capacity of youth to inform themselves, think critically and take civic actions online. This toolkit incorporates freely accessible digital tools to illustrate learning goals, move learners from digital literacy to digital expression, and provide detailed lesson plans for facilitators outside of the classroom. The tools include: Databasic, @Stake, MediaBreaker, and Emerging Citizens.

Social Impact

The Civic IDEA framework has been deployed in several Engagement Lab projects as well as by media literacy organizations and efforts around the world.